June 2009 Archives

In typical fashion, this year's BET Awards were a mishmash of randomness--not enough awards, too many sub-par performances and, even for a night that was to be dedicated to the late great King of Pop, Michael Jackson, it was barely that. There were so many moments I'd love to dig into, but I set aside this time to cover one and only one thing: Beyonce's rendition of "Ave Maria." I think Beyonce is a consummate entertainer. She can put on a show that I believe, in the years to come, will make her as legendary as Michael to this generation. The costumes, the dances, the hair, the preternatural beauty, the energy. I will not take any of those things away from her. But what I will take case with is her inability to determine what is appropriate and respectful in a moment when the world is mourning the loss of one of the biggest pop stars of our time.

Contrary to what many writers, bloggers, posters and commentators seem to think...I love the idea!

For starters, let's consider the most wonderful movies that didn't get nominated for Best Picture in their years:

- "His Girl Friday," with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell (1940)
-  "Rear Window," with Jimmy Stewart (1954)
-  "The Magificent Seven," with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn (1960). This is one of the more enduring westerns from 1960.

The list could go on. In fact, it does:

- "Frankenstein" (1930)
- "King Kong" and "Duck Soup" (1933)
- "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937)
- "The Big Sleep," with Humphrey Bogart (1946)
- "Singin' in the Rain," with Gene Kelly (1952)
- "Vertigo" (1958) 
- "North by Northwest" (1959)
- "Breakfast at Tiffany's," with Audrey Hepburn (1961)

And the ones above are just the ones made before I was born!

Don't let the trailer for "Cheri" fool you. While it seduces moviegoers with promises of period costumes and what looks to be a frothy romantic frolic between the beautiful (yet much older) Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the equally beautiful (yet very young) Cheri (Rupert Friend), this film, based on the story by French novelist Colette (who also wrote "Gigi"), will leave you depressed rather than delighted. However, this is not a reason to stay home, either. What I thought would be a rather silly movie turned out to be gripping and stunningly well acted.

The story is simple: Lea is an aging courtesan, and she takes up with the son of another aging courtesan (Kathy Bates), who she has called Cheri (an affectionate nickname) since he was six. Everyone understands the parameters--or so it seems, at first. Mother is happy by the match because her son needs to cheer up, Lea is charmed, and Cheri gets to remain the happy, boyish lover for as long as the relationship lasts--which it's not supposed to, but does--for six years. It seems that this film's trailer was made entirely from the initial twenty minutes when Lea and Cheri get together.

Back when making music videos was an art form and a must for anyone hoping for chart-topping releases, Michael Jackson took it to another level. VH1 celebrated him with a full weekend of retrospective videos and provided viewers the chance to post thoughts and memories at vh1.com. It was really worth setting the TiVO for this retrospective. I suspect there will be a rush to buy Michael's video albums, all of which can be found on Amazon.com.

Working with directors such as John Landis and Michael Scorcese, and co-stars like Eddie Murphy, Iman, Magic Johnson, McCauley Culkin, and Bart and Homer Simpson, many of Jackson's videos were actually like mini-movies. Here's my top 10 list of Michael Jackson's most inspiring videos, with the disclaimer that my top picks aren't necessarily his most famous ones. [Note: Click on the links below to watch most of the music videos on YouTube.] 

10. "Rock With You" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (Album: Off the Wall) These were the first of his adolescent/adult videos as he stepped out from the child star days of the Jackson 5.

9. "Liberian Girl" (Album: Bad). This is a beautiful song which most have never heard of, with cameos by everyone from John Travolta to Olivia Newton-John, Steven Spielberg to Quincy Jones, Dan Akyroyd to Steve Guttenberg, Whoopie Goldberg to Carl Weathers, Billy Dee Williams to Paula Abdul, and that's just the beginning of the list.

8. Tie between "Thriller" (Album: Thriller) and "Bad" (Album: Bad). The songs themselves didn't do much for me but the long version mini-movies were a historic achievement.

7. "Dirty Diana" (Album: Bad). One of the very, very rare pieces of Michael Jackson live concert footage (or at least simulated live concert footage!)

6. Tie between "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" (Album: Thriller). I thought these were better and deeper songs than the over-marketed "Thriller," and they were great long videos rather than mini-movies.

The legacy of Michael Jackson continues as the memory of his passing still remains fresh in our minds.

Say a prayer for him and for the Jacksons as they grieve and mourn the death of a son, a brother, and family member: